Istanbul Technical University · since 1795
We engineer the railwayssignallingsafetynext century
Civil, mechanical, electrical and control engineering in one graduate programme — and a laboratory where SIL-rated hardware, interlocking software and fiber sensing are actually built.
Why ITU RSM
Two centuries of railway engineering, pointed at the next one
Railway studies started at ITU in 1795, in the Mühendishane-i Berr-i Hümâyûn. The graduate programme was established at the request of TCDD, endorsed by the Council of Higher Education in 2013, and has been admitting students since the 2014–2015 academic year.
Mission & visionInterdisciplinary by design
Four faculties deliver one curriculum, so a thesis can pull supervisors from civil, mechanical, electrical and control engineering at once.
Built, not only taught
The laboratory runs SIL-rated controllers, SCADE and SILworX toolchains, and fail-safe software practice on real hardware.
Industry at the table
Projects run with public bodies and rail suppliers — signalling, track geometry, traction, monitoring — nationally and internationally.
Research
Seven fields, one life cycle
From route planning to onboard control — our staff supervise theses at every stage of a rail system.
Planning
High-speed and intercity lines, metro, light rail and tramway planning, design and construction.
02Operation & maintenance
Superstructure and infrastructure upkeep, external costs, sustainability, operating economics.
03Infrastructure
Tunnels, viaducts, fatigue testing, wheel–rail interaction and geometric standards.
04Vehicles
Structural characterisation, bogie dynamics, vibration, acoustics and high-speed aerodynamics.
05Signalling & safety
Interlocking, CBTC, ERTMS/ETCS, ATP/ATO, SIL-rated software and formal verification.
06Energy & traction
AC/DC electrification, traction supply, timetable energy optimisation, advanced batteries.
07Resource management
Fuels, energy technology, lubricants and waste oil management for rail systems.
LAB26 open project topics
Earthquake early warning, track geometry, FRMCS 5G, predictive maintenance, hyperloop — pick one and turn it into a thesis.
Announcements
Latest from the programme
Lab project topics published
Twenty-six themes, from earthquake early warning to pantograph monitoring, open to anyone looking for a thesis subject.
Spring semester applications
Applications run through the ITU Graduate School; check the current calendar before applying.
Laboratory intern intake
Interns are recruited each term; a willingness to learn counts more than a finished skill set.
At a glance
Admission essentials
- ALES numerical ≥ 75 (or GRE Quantitative ≥ 155)
- Undergraduate GPA ≥ 2.30/4.00 (60.33/100)
- Open to graduates of all engineering programmes
- ITU language requirement within one year
- 8 courses · 24 credits · seminar · thesis
Next step
Bring us a problem from the track
Talk to the coordinators before you apply. They can match your background with a supervisor and a live project — and if your idea is not on our list, that is usually a good sign.